The Bullpen with J.D. Greear

Pastor J.D. talks about the importance of time with God, even in dry seasons, and some tools that can help along the way.

A glimpse inside this episode:

It may surprise you, but sometimes this is still a struggle for me. And I’m a pastor and have a Ph.D. in theology. But that doesn’t mean I automatically have a rich, rewarding time with God each morning. Sometimes my “quiet times” (which, by the way, what a stupid name) are awesome, like God really meets me. Other times it feels like I am just going through a dry ritual.

But it’s important to maintain this “discipline” even when I’m not “feeling it,” because real growth happens by a “long obedience in the same direction,” not short spurts of inspiration and goose bumps.

Søren Kierkegaard: Life is lived forward but understood in reverse.

Christian growth: Long pull, not violent jerks. Sometimes, growing up, I’d go to summer camp and start to really feel that “camp high.” You know… you feel like you could basically walk on water, and your quiet times have never been better… and that lasts about two days. But long obedience in the same direction, which Eugene Peterson wrote about, requires a slow, steady commitment. There will be “peaks” and there will also be “valleys,” with quiet times. What matters is that you do it. 

I’m always looking for good tools to take me through the Bible. 

Pastor J.D. discusses three common objectives people have surrounding the death penalty.

A glimpse inside this episode:

Three objections people have:

1. It is immoral (this is contradicted by ample biblical support both Old and New Testament)

Some will say, “One of the 10 commandments is, ‘Thou shalt not murder.’ So, we shouldn’t administer the death penalty, either.” But Dr. Wayne Grudem, who I find helpful on this topic, writes that this is not meant to forbid all forms of taking life. He drills down to the Hebrew word for murder, ratsach, which literally means to slay. The 6th commandment is talking about premeditated, intentional murder, which God obviously forbids OR causing human death through carelessness or negligence.

In the Old Testament, the idea of justly executing a human who murdered another human predates even the law given to Moses and the Israelites. Dr. Grudem talks about how in Genesis 9, after the flood, God told Noah, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Gen. 9:5). This was foundational to human life on earth after the flood. So, you can’t say, “Well, that’s part of the Old Testament Mosaic covenant, and we don’t have to follow that anymore.” That word for “shed” meant to pour out, or to intentionally cause someone to die. The reason this is so important is because, when you murder a human being made in God’s image, you’re destroying something that is most like God. Dr. Grudem says it’s the closest thing we can do to attacking God himself. 

In the New Testament, I look at Romans 13:4: “But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he (the one in authority) does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (What does the sword mean?) Now, remember that this comes right after the end of chapter 12, when Paul was talking about never avenging yourself, and allowing vengeance to be the Lord’s. Paul’s logic: you are not the avenger; the government is. So, the answer to the question, “What right do you have to take another life?” is “I don’t, but God does. The government is God’s avenger who carries out God’s wrath on evildoers. In other words, we can see the civil government executing someone who has executed another human as God’s wrath carried out on an evildoer. 

1 Peter 2:13-14 carries the same theme — it talks about “governors sent by God to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good.” (NO human has the right to take the life of another human.) Correct. But God can commission them to. Same is true, of course, of other punishments. Punishment is not primarily restorative, but also retributive. Paul in Acts: “If I have done something worthy of death, I do not object to die.”

2. It is not effective as a deterrent

Many times, people object to the whole concept of deterrence, which I have more of a problem with. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” This also gets back into our previous point: is civil punishment meant to deter crime, or to carry out retribution for acts of evil that have been done? The punishment is a statement about life. I would argue if the loss of your own life is not a deterrent against doing an evil act, there is no deterrent that can stop you from doing it. Is punishment a deterrent? 

Data: That’s not my area, but arguments are fairly persuasive to me: Each execution deters an average of 18 murders, according to a 2003 nationwide study by professors at Emory University. (Other studies have estimated the deterred murders per execution at three, five, and 14). Also, the time factor: Speeding up executions would strengthen the deterrent effect. For every 2.75 years cut from time spent on death row, one murder would be prevented, according to a 2004 study by an Emory University professor.

Grudem, Politics: For each murderer executed, as many as fourteen to eighteen additional murders are deterred (David Bl. Muhlausen, Ph.D., “The Death Penalty Deters Crime and Saves Lives,” Heritage Foundation, Aug., 2007). Notes that because executions take so long, we have not in recent years been able to see a reliable evaluation of the deterrent effect if the death penalty were carried out more quickly when someone is clearly deteremined as a murderer (and cites Eccl. 8:11 as reason for doing so).

3. It is unjustly administered in our country due to past racial sins, so we should call a moratorium on it until we get stuff sorted out).

This one I’m less of an expert to speak on–I was deeply bothered by Just Mercy. But the answer is not to throw out the concept of retributive justice altogether. (1) Each case should be decided on its own merits. (2)Supreme Court- the right to require fairness in each situation. 

Pastor J.D. shares three words that should guide our post-election posture—empathy, charity, and unity.

A glimpse inside this episode:

Politics matter, but they are not an issue of first importance.

I want to give you three words that should guide our posture after this election (that I learned a few years ago from 1 Peter). Three words that should characterize the church and every follower of Jesus.

Empathy: Seeking to see a situation through someone else’s eyes. Understanding why they think like they do, what motivates them; what creates such passion in them. What were they most concerned about with this election? What justice questions concerned them? What fears motivated them? What fears motivated them? I’m not saying you have to agree with their political calculus, but you can at least try to see it through their eyes as much as possible.

Charity: Charity means assuming the best about them; giving them the benefit of the doubt about their motives. The political discourse in this country trains us to assume the worst of everyone else’s motives even as we demand they assume the best about our own. Based on what you hear, you’d think there are only two options in our society: Marxist or racist; Communist or Fascist. In the church we should be different. As much as we can, we give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Unity: We can and should insist on alignment around biblical values–the sanctity of life and the evil of abortion; the wickedness of racism and all forms of discrimination, the preciousness of religious liberty, the importance of caring for the poor–while allowing disagreement on the political calculus used to pursue those things. And by “political calculus” I mean which candidate will best get the job done and even which issues to prioritize in this election. These are questions we can disagree on and still stand united–not because these political questions are not that important, but because our identity in Christ and our mission to preach the gospel is that much more important.

Church, let’s be united, because the gospel we preach is of the greatest importance and the Great Commission is of highest urgency, Amen?

Let’s be bold–let’s be outspoken on things like the sanctity of life and evils of injustice. Because those evils are real, and they really harm people. We shouldn’t parrot only the virtues associated with one candidate or party, but all biblical virtues. If we’re really followers of Jesus, we should be a little confusing, like we don’t quite fit with one side. Like they can never quite figure us out. If you find yourself only talking about abortion, probably out of balance as a disciple maker. If only about lingering racism, also out of balance. If we are the people who undermine all parties and stand above them, we will speak God’s truth in a way that confronts both.

At The Summit Church, we dedicated a lot of time in the last month to the difficult questions of politics. It’s not my intent to cover all of that ground again. 

I’ll answer your question with a question—the same question I ask every college graduate at The Summit Church:

You’ve got to get a job somewhere. Why not get a job in a place where God is doing something strategic?

Whatever you do, do it well for the glory of God, and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God. We challenge our college graduates to let the mission of God be the most significant factor in determining where and how they pursue their careers. We challenge them to dedicate the first two years after they graduate to join a church planting team working somewhere in North America or around the globe. We call it the “Go2 Challenge.”

Whether you are in college considering what God has for you next, at a transitional point in your career, or nearing retirement, why not consider investing two years directly into the mission of God?

Here’s a few  questions you might have:

“Won’t Going for Two Years Mess Up My Career?”

College students sometimes ask me, “If I pause my career for two years, won’t I be behind?” Well, first, who says you have to pause it? The idea is that perhaps you can pursue your career in a location where you can be a part of a church plant. But even if you do pause it, like I did, it likely won’t set you back. If anything, it likely will help it. 

Look through the biographies of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and you’ll find that many of them had a post-college stint in the military or the Peace Corps. Living intentionally on mission, particularly in a challenging context, builds character in ways that no internship or apprenticeship can. These settings yield lifelong benefits. A friend of mine, who oversees one of the largest college scholarship and young leadership development programs in America, recently told me, “There’s a reason Mormons are so disproportionately represented in the upper echelons of business leadership. A lot of it goes back to the character development that takes place in their two-year mission.”

After being on a team like this for a couple of years, God may lead you to plant your life there permanently. That’s what happens to many of those we send from our church. Others return knowing they gave the first and best of their careers to God, something God surely will bless. Jesus said, after all, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). That verse applies to your career, too.

“How Can I Find Out About Opportunities?”

Great question. In the denomination our church participates in (the Southern Baptist Convention), it North American Mission Board has established 50 “Send Cities” which are under-churched and in which they can help partner you with a new church plant. 

Additionally, our International Mission Board has a number of two-year programs that can place you on a team serving somewhere overseas in the least reached places on earth.

Your denomination or local church probably has its own connections. Groups like Cru, Frontiers, Campus Outreach, and Radical have cross-denominational opportunities you can access as well. 

If all that sounds too tough, just move to Raleigh and join the The Summit Church. We’ll send you out from here! Kidding. Sort of. I mean, we won’t turn you away. Just come on over and we’ll figure it out. 

You can find out more about these (and other) options at go2years.net.

“Do I Need to Leave Behind My Job?” 

Maybe. For many, you will be able to find a job in your career field in one of these places. If so, you’ll be able to go without having to raise money. Financially, you’ll be a net-positive for the mission! 

God calls some to leverage their careers, for others to leave them, and for others to lead a church. At our church, we call this for the leverage or leave? question. Is God calling you to leverage your career for the Great Commission, like the Moravians, or to leave it behind, like William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Lottie Moon? He leads his followers both directions. Additionally, if God has called you to lead a church, why not consider serving a church in a much-less-reached country? 

The Summit Church leadership development at The Summit Institute.

Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order. 

Pastor J.D. talks about why it’s time we kick our bucket lists and do the one thing now that we can’t do in eternity—share the gospel.

A glimpse inside this episode:

I often hear people today talk about “bucket lists.” You know, all those things you want to do before you kick the bucket because you assume you’ll never have a chance to do them again.

The handful of experiences that have lived up to expectations: 

Others I’d like to do:

But does that make sense for the Christian?

The book of Revelation tells us that at the resurrection, Jesus ushers us into the “new heavens and new earth.”

Scholars say new means “renewed.” That means that heaven is not some ethereal existence in the clouds where we sit around in diapers with Nerf bow and arrows playing the harp. Heaven is a new, renewed version of this earth, without the curse of sin.

That means that up there I’ll get to experience a perfected version of all the things I missed out on down here. All the mountains, stars, rivers, oceans, planets, animals, culture, arts, music, architecture, and extreme sports that I never got to experience here are waiting for me there.

Revelation 21:26 even says that God will bring into heaven “the glory and honor of the nations” (CSB), which means he brings in the best of culture. The best Italian food. The best of Arabian architecture. The best art. Mardi Gras without the debauchery. Disney World without the lines. The Jersey Shore without the Jersey.

The point?

It’s time to kick the bucket list. You don’t have to worry about anything you miss out on here. Instead, you can focus on leveraging your few remaining moments for eternity.

You see, there is one thing we can’t do there that we can do here: tell people about Jesus.

If you want to put something on a bucket list, make it sharing the gospel with as many people as possible. The people alive in the world during this generation have one shot to hear the gospel, and it’s us.

So before you kick the bucket, kick your bucket list. For eternity, you’ll be glad you did.

Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order. 

Pastor J.D. shares how God called him to the mission field before calling him to be a pastor of a church that sends and supplies the mission field in extravagant ways.

A glimpse inside this episode:

When God called me to be a pastor, he did so by first calling me to the mission field. I spent the first two years of my ministry as a church planter among Muslims overseas. God never relinquished that call to missions; he showed me that my role in it is to be a part of a church that sends and supplies the mission field.

Even though my primary role in the Great Commission is now as an equipper, it is always such a joy to get back on the front lines. Sure, it can be frustrating not being able to speak the language. But I share Christ more, person to person, in a two-week span than I probably do the entire rest of the year here in the States. It is my identity there, the entire reason I had go short term now. So when an opportunity comes up, I simply share the gospel. I wasn’t “Pastor J.D.” there. I was just “J.D. the guy talking about Jesus.” I want that to last: I want to just be the “Jesus guy” even here.

Follow-Up Question: How do you know if you’re called to overseas missions?

References: Nehemiah 2:12, Acts 13:2, Isaiah 6.

Picture a Venn Diagram with these three circles: Affinity, Ability, Affirmation. Where do these things overlap?

Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order. 

Pastor J.D. is joined by Pastor Bryan Loritts for a special edition of Ask Me Anything where they look at the events of the past week.

A glimpse inside this episode:

Immediately: Bear one another’s burdens, grieve with those who grieve. Love your neighbors as yourself. Pursue empathy. Relieve yourself of the burden of having to come up with answers, and take a posture of humility. Even in the face of Martha saying something untrue, Jesus listened and wept with Mary and Martha (John 11). He didn’t immediately correct her theology.

Longterm: We need a full-court press from the three institutions created by God, the family, the government, and the church, in dealing with the issues of systemic racism. Considering a healthy spiritual upbringing of our children, considering how we vote, and considering the heart change that happens with the gospel. God’s strategy for dealing with the problem of sin as part of the new covenant was not dealing with it from the outside in but from the inside out (Jeremiah and Ezekiel). Imagine the power of Ahmaud Arbery in a small group relationship with the McMichaels–where they’re all redeemed and getting to know each other. Proximity breeds empathy; distance breeds suspicion.

When something happens to one part of the body of Christ, it happens to all of us. That’s where we start. Don’t rush past lamenting into problem solving. “White evangelicals have a PhD in statistics and a third grade education in empathy” – Bryan Loritts, Insider Outsider

On social media, do the same: don’t rush to problem solving but spend time lamenting and empathizing. Simply, “We are with you.” Instead of being paralyzed by not having the answers, make yourself available.

Pastor J.D. discusses the three most important things for new believers to do as they begin their relationship with Christ.

A glimpse inside this episode:

#1: Learn how to spend time with God.

#2: Plug into a gospel-centered local church and get involved.

But do you really need the church?

#3: Get into a small group.

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Pastor J.D. talks about the importance of doctrine, values, and mission when aligning with a denomination and shares some of his convictions.

A glimpse inside this episode:

I am Southern Baptist, not by birth but by choice.

First, cooperation amongst similarly-minded churches is a good thing, without question.

Second, I also believe institutions are good.

The SBC is a tool. If you have a tool and it gets dull and you can’t use it anymore, what do you do? Throw it away. But that’s not where we are with the SBC.

Unity in essential, uniformity in non-essentials. Truth trumps a faux unity.

J.D., I do have another question: why don’t you have “Baptist” in your church’s name?

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